Dredger



(No Model.)

H. H. LYNCH.

DREDGER.

No. 365,140. Patented June 21, 1887.

N4 PETERS. Pholw-Lflhcgmphor. Wishingwn, D. C,

Fries.

HENRY II. LYNCH, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DREDGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,140, dated June 21,1887.

Serial No. 300.166. (Ne model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY H. LYNCH, of the city and county of SanFrancisco, State of California, have invented an Improvementin Drcdgers;and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for excavatingor dredging; auditconsists, mainly, in a novel construction ofexcavating blades or flanges arranged either spirally or straight, withsuitable supporting rings and disks, and a mechanism by which it may berotated, in connection with a suction-pump,by which the materialloosened and excavated by these flanges may be removed as fast as it isexcavated.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof my invenlion, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my exea vator. Fig. 2is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4t isatransverse section taken in the plane at right ancavating buckets oropenings upon its periph cry, in combination with a suctioirpipe whichopens into the drum, and by which the material is removed as fast as itis introduced into the dru m by the buckets. I have found that in manyclasses of work these buckets cannot supply an amount of materialsufficient for the suctioirpipe, and when this is the case agreatquantity of water will be drawn in and a comparatively small amount ofsolid material. In order to overcome this objection I have discarded thedrum entirely, and I employ long curved flanges or diggers A, which aremade of boiler-iron or steel riveted or secured to gether,and supportedby stronginterior rings, B B, to which they are bolted. In the presentcase I have shown these digging-flanges attached to the rings,so as toform spirals around the circumference of the structure, and the lowerends are curved inward, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, and are rivetedor be] ted to a circular disk, D, which has a strong central hub, and isbored out to receive the lower end of-the drivingshaft E. The upper endof the excavator has also a central support or head,

F, through which the driving-shaft passes, and the whole is supportedupon an inclined ladder or frame which is hinged to ascow or float, sothat the lower end maybe raised or depressed to bring the excavator intocontact with the earth or material which is to be dug up.

YVithin the structure forn'led by the exeavating-flanges and sup)orting-riugs is a hood, K, which-terms an extension above thesuction-pipe,through which the material is drawn as it is excavated. Thesuction-pipe passes through the upper stationary head or disk, F, beforedescribed, and through which the central drivingshaft also passes, and.the hood is placed relatively to the position of the excavator when atwork, so that its open side will be presented toward the lower side ofthe excavator. The material which is loosened up by these spiralexcavating-flanges falls into the interior upon the top of and aroundthe hood, and the constant suction through the pipe G (which is producedby the pump connected with its upper end, but not shown in the presentcase) will withdraw its material as fast as it is supplied. Thestationary head or disk F, through which the driving-shalt and thesuction-pipe pass,is strongly secured to the lower end of the timbersII, which form the ladder upon which the excavator is carried.

I is a man-hole plate covering an opening through the upper end of theexcavator, and through which access may be had to its interior whenevernecessary.

In connection with these excavating blades or flanges I employ alsocutters or diggers J, which are in the form of curved loops or T- shapedplates of steel bolted to the framework between the excavating-bladesand at suitable points, so as to project slightly beyond the edges ofthe blades or flanges. These T-shaped cutters serve to loosen up veryhard or tenacious material and prepare it to be taken in by theexcavating-flanges, and they serve also to protect these flanges frominjury by stones or excessively hard material which may be encounteredin digging.

The edges of the excavatingblades or flanges may be serrated or providedwith teeth K,projecting beyond the blades. These teeth are riveted orotherwise secured upon the blades in a substantial manner.

Having thus described my ii'ivention, what ICO - I claim as new,anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an excavator, the shaft, the supports forthe blades orflangesextending circumferentially about said shaft and'at a distancetherefrom toform rings, cutting blades or flanges secured at differentpoints on said rings, said blades being arranged spirallyon the rings,whereby the material is cut and directed into the interior of theexcavator, and a suction-pipeopening into the interior, substantiallyas-described.

2. An excavator composed of the supports for the cutting-bladesextending circumferentially about the shaft to form rings, the disks orend plates, and the flanges or blades bolted to said supporting-ringsand projecting from the sides and around the lower end, so as topresentexcavating-edges, substantially as described.

3. An excavator composed of blades or flanges arranged around a centralshaft, and

an end disk and interior supporting-rings to which these flanges aresecured, in combination with a disk or head secured to a supportingladder or frame, a suction-pipe passing through this disk and aninterior hood, and a driving-shaft extending through the upper head andsecured to the lower disk of the excavator, whereby the latter may becaused to rotate, substantially as herein described.

4. An excavator composed of the flaring blades or flanges, an end diskand interior supporting-rings to which the blades arebolted, a shaftextending through and secured to the disk through which power may beapplied to rotate the excavator, in combination with a stationary headat the opposite end with flanges, by which it may be secured to asupporting frame or ladder, and a suction-pipe extending through saidhead and the hood in the interior of the excavator, substantially asherein described.

. 5. An excavator composed of the flaring or scoop-shaped blades orflanges secured to an end disk, and interior supporting-rings, andhaving a driving-shaft keyed into the disk, as

shown, in combination with T-shaped cutters or loops bolted to theexcavator and'extending outwardly beyond the edges. ofthe digginguflanges, substantially as herein described.

6.-An excavator composed of supportingrings and straight orspirally-arranged plates supported thereby, projecting from the sidesand lower end, and an end disk through which V power is applied, asshown, in combination with serrated edges or teeth, substantially asherein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY H. LYNCH.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, O. D. COLE.

